If Love is True
by Saint Ginger
Summary: A little what if of it Dick had never lost his family and had never left the circus.
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing**: Dickbabs  
**Rating**: T  
**Summary**: A little what if of it Dick had never lost his family and had never left the circus.  
**Notes**: My ability for long fanfic plots has returned. Also, cliche title I know. As well, personalities will be altered slightly. I don't own anything sadly.

* * *

She was gorgeous.

Actually, drop dead beautiful was a better description.

She was so pretty, Dick couldn't think of any words to describe it, let alone stop looking at her. He stood there, staring, with his mouth gaped open slightly.

Her hair was a deep auburn red, falling down in smooth waves past her shoulders, with light ivory skin and her eyes a bright green. Perfect posture had her standing at 5'8 and she was standing next to two blonde girls that Dick barely glanced at. The three were chatting about something, laughing a couple times when one of the blondes, the one with a long ponytail, made some remark about whatever it was.

Dick thought he'd be standing there, staring at the redhead girl till she left, if it wasn't for his cousin John nudging him in the arm.

"See something you like" the older Grayson asked, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at him.

Dick glared at his cousin and shoved him away, "Get lost John"

John laughed and picked up one of the crates of fireworks to bring to the back of the circus for the after show.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" he asked, "The show doesn't start till an hour, so we won't be need back for a while"

The seventeen year old looked over at his twenty six year old cousin and chewed his bottom lip.

"What do I say to her?" he asked.

Dick wasn't exactly a flirter, not like his cousin was. He usually got red in the face when girls fawned or flirted with him, making up an excuse to get the hell away from them. John, on the other hand, would flirt and compliment, even take photos. Granted, Dick could be a charmer when he wanted to he just never did.

"I don't know" he cousin answered with a shrug, "Take her to see Zitka and the other animals, you know give her the whole VIP treatment for free. Girls love that"

"Okay…" Dick nodded a couple times, "How do I start talking to her?"

John breathed out a laughed and shook his head slightly "She's got her back turned to you right now. So you just walk up close to her, pretend your working with the crate next to her and when she turns around-BAM! You two bump right into each other. Then you introduce yourself, take the blame for bumping into her and offer to take her to the back as payment. Fall in love, get married, have babies blah, blah, blah, that kind of thing"

"I don't know weather to hit you or thank you right now" Dick said, glaring at John.

"You can thank me later, since I will be taking your share of the crates back" John nodded to the large boxes in front of them as he picked one up "You owe me"

"Kay, I know" Dick waved his hand and headed over to the crate.

One of the blondes, not ponytail girl, with curls spotted him and made eye contact with him. She winked and he swallowed, getting his eyes back on the ground till he made it to the crate.

He began to pretend he was checking it out. He opened the lid and made it look like he was just counting something in the box.

Blonde with curls picked up on what he was trying to do and smirked, nudging ponytail girl and pointing to him as the redhead went through her purse. She whispered a couple of thing and the other blonde smirked, whispering something back before they nodded to each other.

"So listen Barb, we'll go get in line for tickets you just meet us there" blonde with curls said.

"Yeah, sure" the redhead nodded, still digging through her purse, "I'll met you there"

The blondes started making there way past Dick, both smiling at him mischievously as they strutted past.

After they had gone pasted, the girl began to turn, still going through her bag, and slammed straight into Dick.

"Oh, here I got you" Dick told her, grabbing her arms before she slipped to the ground.

"Thanks" she thanked him, "Sorry about that, I didn't see you there"

"It's fine. My fault anyway" Dick assured her and stuck out his hand, "Dick. Dick Grayson"

She took it, "Barbara. Barbara Gordon. You don't happen to be apart of the Flying Graysons?"

Dick rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, yeah I am"

"Cool. Cool" Barbara nodded, saying the words slowly, "Pretty dangerous act you guys have"

"Well, were all professionals don't worry" Dick replied.

"I suspected, I've seen you guys a couple times" she told him, "Back in Chicago when I five and a few years back here"

"You aren't a native?" Dick asked.

She shook her head, "No, my parents are both from Chicago. Dad got transfers on work when I was a kid"

"Gordon…I think I've heard that once before" Dick told her.

"Probably, he's the Commissioner. Longest surviving one to survive in Gotham" she added the last bit awkwardly, waving her hands in the air like she was holding some small flags.

"Well good for him" Dick smiled at her.

"Thank you, I'll let him know that next time I see him" Barbara smiled back before glancing at her watch, "I should probably go, my friends are waiting for me in line. Sorry about bumping into you"

"No, wait" he stopped her as she left and coughed awkwardly, "Um…how bout I take you back to see the animals. You know, to apologize for bumping into you"

Barbara stared at him, "It's fine. I bump into people all the time, you don't have to make it up to me"

She started to walk again but Dick stepped in front of her, stopping her again.

"No, but I want to" he told her, "I have to feed Zitka anyway before the show starts. You could…help if you like"

"Tell me Zitka is not some carnivorous animal and I'm not about to step into a lion's cage or something" Barbara looked at him.

Dick laughed, "She's an elephant actually and we feed all the animals outside of the cage, not in it"

"I don't know…" Barbara trailed off and caught sight of Bette and Artemis, standing in line a couple feet away, egging her on, "I'm…I guess I could"

Dick smiled, "Great, that's great. I'll take you the back way. Come on"

He grabbed her hand and led her towards the crates he'd been previously working with and back around the large tent, ledding her past clowns and contortionists getting ready for the show and didn't stop until he was right in front of Zitka's cage.

"Hey girl, how are you?" he asked her, stroking her trunk when she stuck it through the bars, "I brought a friend"

Barbara waved at the elephant, "Hi"

Zitka's trunk moved and reached out towards Barbara, who freaked out slightly and froze as Zitka moved her trunk around her shoulders and head.

"She doesn't bite" Dick joked.

"I realized"

"You aren't an animal person, are you?"

"Well, my pet goldfish died after five minutes, I had a cat that ran away and hit by a bus and you can go ask the ducks in Gotham Park if I'm an animal person"

Dick laughed, "That sounds like a horrible experience"

"Ha! Please" Barbara laughed, "The cop that came to my aid had to shoot one of them, it wouldn't stop trying to attack me"

"Oh my God, I wish I'd seen that" Dick laughed getting Zitka's food into her cage, "I think it would have been comedy gold"

"Well, it is only one of my adventures in the life of Barbara Gordon" she retorted.

"You make your life sounds adventurous" Dick told her.

"More like dangerous" she corrected, "Cop kid living in a city with the highest crime rate in all of America, not that safe for me"

"Well I've swung from a trapeze without a net for most of my life, I guess it's dangerous to" he replied.

"I guess you're right" Barbara told him, smiling.

"Dick?" an older, female voice called out from off in the distance.

Dick looked over Barbara's shoulder and spotted his aunt Karla walking through the crowd of performers, all ready in her leotard. Crap, it must be getting close to curtain call.

"Over here" Dick shouted back, moving around Barbara and waving his hand to catch her attention.

"Oh! There you are. The rest of us have been looking all over for you" Karla told him, getting closer to him, "I was just about to-"

She stopped when she spotted Barbara behind him, Barbara was still petting Zitka's trunk and too embarrassed to turn around. She opened her mouth to say something, looked at her nephew, back towards Barbara and back towards Dick before closing it.

"Tell me you aren't getting dating advice from my son?" she asked him quietly, leaning towards him so Barbara didn't hear.

"Um…maybe" Dick whispered back.

She leaned her head out and studied the redhead, a small smile soon appeared on her face showed she approved.

"Well don't forget to ask her if she wants to watch the show from the curtain" she whispered back, "That's how your father got your mom"

Dick pulled a face, shuddering at the thought of what probably came next, "Ew, I did not need to know that"

Karla only smiled, laughing a little, and stepped back, speaking at a normal volume "You need to get ready in five minute. Show goes on in twenty, I'll see you at the curtain"

"See you" Dick replied and watched his aunt head back through the crowd, before turning back to Barbara, "So I got to go get ready"

"I heard" Barbara looked over at him letting go of Zitka's trunk, "I should probably go get my ticket and find my friends anyway"

"Hey, I can pull a favor and get Mr. Haly to let you watch from the curtain" Dick told her.

"What, to make up for bumping into me?" Barbara smiled, cocking an eyebrow up.

Dick's cheeks went red, "Um…yeah I guess"

"Hmm…you circus folk are really sincere when it comes to apologies" Barbara was still smiling at him.

"Yeah, yeah I guess we are" Dick laughed.

"Only if it's okay, I don't want to cause any problems" Barbara told him.

Dick nodded, "Got it, just stay here, I'll be right back"

* * *

"Wow, I never knew how the crazy back stage of a circus is" Barbara told Dick as he walked her back to the front of the circus.

The temperature had dropped since before the show and Dick had quickly changed out of his performance clothes into his sweats and grabbed a coat.

"Oh it's a lot more hectic then that sometimes, a couple of swears can be heard when the clowns loose one of their props" Dick told her, "They were just being good because you were there"

"Well thank you" Barbara thanked him, stopping in front of the tent and turning to him, "This was really sweet, nobody has ever bumped into me and done something like this before. I enjoyed it"

"Any time" Dick replied.

"So…how long are you guys in town this time?" Barbara asked.

"Till the end of next month", Dick answered.

Barbara nodded, "Huh yeah…here hold on"

She swung her bag round in front of her and dug her hand in it till she pulled something out. A small, ballpoint pen was held in her hand.

"Here" she scribbled down a couple of digits on his hand, "Give me a call and I'll show you around Gotham one day"

Dick nodded, his stomach doing more flips inside of him then when he was up on the trapeze. Barbara smiled, pushing a strand of loose hair behind her ear as she step back.

"Well, thanks again" she thanked him once more.

"Anytime Miss Gordon" he replied.

She turned to leave, but spun back around and pushed onto her toes, kissing Dick softly on the cheek.

"Call me" she told him, cheeks red slightly, as she walked backwards for a couple of steps.

"Will do" Dick replied, watching her walk away.

She waved once more, smiling brightly at him, before turning around properly and walking out of the park and down the street, disappearing out of sight in a couple of steps.

Once she was out of sight, Dick threw his arms in the air and jumped for joy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing**: Dickbabs  
**Rating**: T  
**Summary**: A little what if of it Dick had never lost his family and had never left the circus.  
**Notes**: I don't own anything sadly.

* * *

"So, who was your little friend you had back stage yesterday?" Dick's mother asked him when he sat down with them for breakfast the next day.

"Her name's Barbara" John answered for him before he had a chance, appearing suddenly and sliding in besides his cousin, "She's the Commissioner's daughter, is not good with animals and has the cutest little smile it just makes your heart melt when you see it"

Dick glared over at his cousin "I hate you sometimes. You know that?"

Something sparked in his mother, as if fireworks were suddenly going off in them, when she heard this and she suddenly got extremely excited. Bouncing in her seat as began to ask, "Oh, I want to know more about her. Is she a native to Gotham? Did she like the circus? Did she like you more importantly? Where you good with her? Tell me you did not act like your cousin? I swear Richard John Grayson you better have been a perfect gentleman with her or-"

"Mom" Dick stopped his mother half way through her interrogation, "I wasn't like John, I swear. She isn't a native to Gotham she from Chicago. I think she really enjoyed it because this wasn't her first time seeing it. I don't know if she likes me, but she did sort of…kiss me…on the cheek…before she left…" Dick felt his face start to go red as he trailed off and looked away.

His mother squealed and jumped up and down in her chair so her that light blondish red ponytail swung from side to side.

"Karla? Karla did you hear?" she called to her sister-in-law when she spotted her, "Dick met a girl yesterday"

"I know, I saw her and what a pretty thing she was" Karla answered, sitting down.

"Did you hear she kissed him? Granted it was on the cheek but still" Dick's mother shrugged, practically beaming at this point.

"I did not know that" Karla glanced over at her nephew and smiled slyly, "Is there anything else we should know before the men arrive"

Dick was silent.

John nudged him, "Go on. Tell them before I do"

"Um…" Dick hesitated, "She sort of…gave me her number"

The woman squealed and they suddenly look less like professional acrobats and more like hyperactive high school girls. Dick's father and uncle were beginning to notice something was going on from where they stood next to Haly and it looked like they were about to come over to find out what.

"Oh you are so calling the girl, but not straight away of course" Karla told him.

"And you are going to try to be social with her, go out with her as much as possible"

"Maybe we can pull a couple strings with Haly and let you off for a couple of nights"

"We can do the old routine every night he's gone"

As the two ladies began there own conversation, that was basically the planning of Dick's love life, John lend over to him and whispered, "Oh, they are so going to be planning your wedding by dinner"

"I have to go tell Sandra, she's going to be so excited" Dick mother told Karla as she got up from the table.

Dick groaned, resting his head on his arms, screw the possible wedding plans the entire circus was going to know about Barbara by lunch.

* * *

"So who was sex on legs you met yesterday?" Bette asked her friend as they walked into a clothing store.

The two were doing their normal Sunday shopping trips, which were basically Barbara looking and Bette leaving with bags of clothes. At times, Bette would buy something for Barbara that she really wanted her to have, but they were always something Barbara knew her father would kill her if he every saw her in. They had always stayed in the far back of her closet and were only taken out on _special _occasions.

Barbara blushed, "His name is Dick and he is one of the acrobats"

Bette stop mid way through pushing a couple of hangers aside to just stare at her friend, with her mouth dangling wide open.

"As in one of the Flying Grayson?" she asked.

"The youngest"

"Oh Lord, Barbara I think you hit the jackpot"

"But…he's actually only here till the end of next month"

Bette looked at her, eyebrows up, "Well then why aren't you texting him right now?"

"I gave him my number, not the other way round" Barbara answered, staring over at her friend.

"Did he text you yet?" she asked.

Barbara shook her head.

"He's probably doing the whole three day wait rule", Bette told her.

Barbara's phone vibrated in her back pocket.

"Or maybe not…" Bette watched her friend pulled out her phone and check. Barbara shook her head and the blonde cursed, "Damn, I forgot that only happens in the movies".

She sighed and returned back to the articles of clothing hanging in front of her, "I guess, we're going to have to wait a while then"

* * *

Barbara didn't get a call from Dick until she was finished knocking a couple of thugs into unconscious the next evening.

"Hello?" she asked into her phone as she stood on the roof of her apartment.

"Hey, it's Dick" the voice on the other end said.

She felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips, "Hey, how are you?"

"I'm good, great really. You sound out of breath, did I catch you at a bad time?" Dick asked.

"No, no, I just got home from a jog" Barbara lied, slipping into her bedroom and began taking off her gear, phone kept pressed between her shoulder and ear.

"At night time?"

"I'm nocturnal"

"In Gotham?"

"I own pepper spay. Anyway, what were you calling for?"

"Um…I was calling to take you up on your offer about showing me around Gotham" Dick told her.

"Great, when do you want to meet?" she asked.

"Does tomorrow sound good?" Dick asked her.

"That's great, I have job at the local library, it's right across from the Court House. I'm there till about 3. You can meet me there" Barbara told him.

"That sounds great, I'll see you then" Dick told her.

"Kay, bye" Barbara replied.

"Bye" Dick returned on the other end.

There was a knock at the door and Barbara swiftly pulled up her shorts, kicked her costume under the bed and threw her body onto it, spreading herself over it as the door open. She hung up her phone the second the door was fully ajar.

Her father stepped into her room with his normal fatherly smile plastered on his face, as he found her lying on her stomach playing with her phone.

"Who was that?" he asked her.

"Oh, just a friend" Barbara answered.

"Who is he?" her father asked, leaning against her doorway.

"How do you know it a he?" Barbara asked back, raising an eyebrow as she stared at her father over her phone.

He tapped the badge connected to his belt, "Detective, remember?"

"Well then who was the blonde you had over last week?" Barbara asked, rolling onto her back.

Her father's cheeks went red and he looked away, coughing, "How did you-?"

Barbara pointed to her chest, "Detective's daughter, remember?

"Yes…well…" her father coughed and cleared his throat, "She's an old friend, visiting town for a while. We were just meeting up. Now who's yours?"

"A new friend"

Her father sighed, "Barbara…"

"Daddy" Barbara retorted.

"If you don't tell me, I'll find out using other methods", her father threatened.

"Fine, he's one of the Flying Graysons" Barbara told him, "And before you ask, he's the youngest, about seventeen"

"Okay good" her father nodded, heading out of her room, "I got to go do something. What do want? Chinese or Thai?"

"Chinese and you better not do a background check on him", Barbara yelled after her father, as he headed out the room and down the hallway.

"No promises" he shouted back.

Barbara rolled her eyes as he disappeared into the kitchen to order dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing**: Dickbabs  
**Rating**: T  
**Summary**: A little what if of it Dick had never lost his family and had never left the circus.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything sadly.  
**Notes**: Thanks for all the reviews I got so far, just guys are really sweet.

* * *

"Hey, glad you made it" Barbara said to Dick as she jogged up to him, "I was afraid you might get lost"

"Yeah, well my mom sort of forced me to take a taxi" Dick told her as he rubbed the back of his neck, "She was afraid as well"

"Well it's a good thing I'm showing you around. How much of Gotham do you know?" Barbara smiled at him as she linked her with his and led him down the street.

"Oh you know, hospitals and police stations" Dick said to her, "In case accident's occur"

"Expected, my dad forced me to remember the locations of the four hospitals in Gotham, all twelve precincts and the five fire departments when I was six" Barbara told him.

"Was it hard?" Dick asked.

She shook her head, "Nah, I have a photographic memory, one look and I had them down for life"

"Lucky you" Dick commented.

Barbara shrugged, "It helps me through life"

There was a sudden commotion from across the street, at the Court House, and the two looked over. There was a woman screaming at a man as he was lead down the stairs to a car by two officers, they couldn't hear most of what but she was saying, but they heard her calling him a monster and hoping he burned in hell.

"Difficult divorce?" Dick asked Barbara, looking over at her to see she was frowning.

"Mob boss trial actually" Barbara answered through clenched teeth, "Guess he got the innocent verdict again, that bastard"

"You know him?"

"Everyone does, he's Tony Zucco"

Dick had he'd heard that name before. Once, when he was a kid, the last time they had been in Gotham.

Tony Zucco had been giving Haly a hard time, trying to extort protection money from the circus, and when Haly threatened to involve the police, Zucco backed off. Not before telling him he'd regret it. The next night of performance, Dick had gone up with his cousin to check the trapeze. They'd been swing around, performing a simple routine, when the rings snapped. Both of them would have been killed if not for the fact the net hadn't been removed yet.

When Haly learned the trapeze had been tampered with, he cancelled that night show and packed up the circus to leave the next morning. He didn't want any more _accidents_ while they were there. They didn't return to Gotham till Dick was fifteen, Haly took the Circus to Bludhaven instead for the next few years.

"That bastard should burn in hell for what he's done" Barbara commented as they turned round the corner.

"Yeah, yeah he should" Dick agreed quietly.

"Anyway" Barbara exhaled loudly and smiled, "Enough about mob bosses, what do you wanna see? There's the park, the museum, the national bank that has the record of most robberies committed there in years, the GCPD, if you want to get interrogated by my dad, and Wayne Manor. Only you can only see that one from the gates"

"Well, which one's closest?" Dick asked her.

"That would be the GCPD, but honestly if my dad sees you God help us both" Barbara told him.

Dick laughed, "Um…how about the park. I've only ever seen the area we keep the circus in"

"Well, lucky for you I know a short cut and I brought my taser, just in case any ducks try to get revenge for their fallen comrade" Barbara told him.

He laughed again and Barbara smiled, leading him down the street.

* * *

The ducks attacked them.

Well, actually, they attacked Barbara.

Dick was forced to try and chase them away as they pecked at her ankles, hissing at her. She cursed and yelled back, trying to kick them as he shooed them and pushed them around.

"Back off you little shit" she snapped and threw her leg at one of the ducks.

They had cornered her at a bench, forcing her step back and to stand on it. Families and couples watched the pair fighting the ducks off from the other side of the pond, in both confusion and shock at what they were seeing. One mother actually moved her children away from the pair and to the other side.

"Oh my God, I swear they are all going to kill me", Barbara told Dick as he stomped his foot in the crowd of ducks, careful not to hit any of them.

The ducks didn't attack him, they scattered for a second but return and continued trying to get to Barbara. The redhead was beginning to get frustrated at them, cursing in what Dick believed was Greek for the sake of the children throwing bread in the pond close by.

Dick moved around the bench behind her.

"I thought you were trying to help me?" Barbara yelled, looking at him over her shoulder.

"I am, here" he got one arm on her back and the other under her knees, lifting her up into his arms and over the bench, "Hold on"

She quickly snatched her bag off the bench as Dick began to quickly jog away from the pond, Barbara's arms wrapped around his neck. He didn't stop until he was as far away from the pond as possible and let Barbara down back onto her feet.

"Thanks for that, I thought I was a goner back there" she thanked him, pushing strands of hair out of her face.

"Anytime" Dick told her, "You speak Greek?"

"Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian and Russian" Barbara answered, "A friend is teaching me Vietnamese"

"Smart, redhead and bilingual" Dick smiled, "Oh, I'm never going to be able to let go of you"

"You forgot pretty" Barbara joked.

"Barbara, you're gorgeous" Dick told her and she smiled, "If you don't believe me I can say it in eight different languages, four of which you don't speak"

"Really? Which ones?" Barbara asked, leaning her head towards him and smiling brightly.

"Romanian, Arabic, Dutch and German" Dick answered.

"Bilingual and has a nice ass, I think I might just have to keep you around" Barbara told him with a dramatic sigh as she walked down the pathway.

"You are a cruel woman, Barbara Gordon" Dick told her as he grabbed her hand when he caught up with her and she let out a laugh.

"Hey, I know a diner close by, we can go there for dinner…if you want" Barbara glanced away a couple times when she said it.

"That sounds nice" Dick replied, "I'd like that"

* * *

"No, no way that happened?" Dick stared at the redhead.

She nodded, milkshake in hand as she said, "It did I swear. My dad just puts down the horse shoe in his hand and says I need to take a sip of my drink, I think it might help my aim"

Dick burst out laughing as Barbara sipped her drink, smiling and trying to keep her composer as she told the story.

"Did he?" Dick asked.

She nodded, "Yeah, he went back to get his beer before coming back and I swear the second after he threw, it went right around the 50 point target"

Barbara lend back in on her side of the booth and continued to smile, as Dick laughed some more on his side. She picked up one of the spare fries on her plate and dipped it in ketchup she had squirted on the side before starting her meal.

"I can't believe that happened" Dick told her.

"It did, I swear it did" Barbara replied, biting the ketchup covered fry in half before eating the rest.

The two had both finished there meals, both had gotten burgers and fries, and were just sitting in the back booth of the diner Dick had been brought to, talking. The 50s styled diner was a place Barbara had gone numerous times with her father for lunch mainly, that she had now taken the youngest Flying Grayson for dinner.

"You two want anything else?" the tall, brunette waitress asked the pair as she stood at the end of their table.

Barbara looked over at Dick, "Dessert?"

He shook his head, "I don't think I can, I've eaten so much"

"No thanks, just the check" Barbara told the waitress.

"Got it sugar, be right back" she replied and walked off.

Once the check had been paid, the pair left the diner and began walking back to the circus. Even in the summer, Gotham was still able to pick up a cold breeze on a few nights and tonight was one of them.

"You cold?" Dick asked Barbara, noticing she was shivering slightly and her cheeks were red from the wind.

"Nah, I'm used to it" Barbara answered.

Dick, being raised to be a perfect gentleman by his mother, quickly pulled off his jacket and rested it on the redhead's shoulders. Her eyes widened and she looked over at him.

"Aren't you going to get cold?" she asked him, a hint of worry was heard in the back of her voice.

"Romanian blood" he joked.

Barbara smiled and the pair continued walking, not stopping till they arrived at the front of the circus. In the exact spot Dick had been kissed on the cheek a few nights before.

"Well, here we are…again" Barbara bounced on her toes slightly, "Thanks for saving from those ducks"

"Thanks for paying for dinner" Dick smiled, "Sorry though, I really did want to pay"

"It's fine" she assured him, "You left your wallet in your other pants, happens to the best of us"

"I'm serious, I really did" Dick told her.

"I know Grayson" Barbara retorted, "I was just pushing your buttons"

There was a small, slightly awkward, silence between the pair before Barbara spoke.

"Um…do you want your jacket back?" Barbara asked, beginning to remove his jacket from off her shoulders.

He shook his head, "Take it, you have to walk home. You can just give it back the next time we see each other"

"So listen, since we're on the topic of seeing each other, there is this gala thing my dad got invited to, at Wayne Manor. Huge yearly charity event Bruce hosts every year and since my dad's the commissioner and all, we usually get invited. The dorky little kid I hang with, Jason, is out of town for the week so…I sort of need a date" Barbara explained biting her lower lip, "Otherwise I'm going to be seriously bored being surrounded by the rich socialites of Gotham's upper class"

"You asking me to come?" Dick asked.

"It's Friday evening, if you can't make it, it's totally cool. I can probably pull some strings and try to get Artemis or Bette to hook me up with someone" Barbara assured.

"No, no, I think I can" Dick told her, "My family's pretty close with Haly, but I'll still have to check"

Dick had to try desperately to not just give her a flat out yes, since he knew well that his aunt Karla and mother were going to force him to go no matter what. And anyway, he wanted to see her again. Funny, pretty, smart, bilingual Barbara Gordon.

"Thank, thank you so much" Barbara wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly, "You are a life saver"

Dick smiled and hugged her back, breathing in the smell of her apple shampoo. She pulled back and bounced up and down a bit.

"Text me when you know and don't worry about a ride, I can drive you" Barbara told him.

He nodded and her smile widened.

"Thanks so much" Barbara thanked him, "You sure I'm not be a annoying little burden asking you to this?"

"No, I think it might be fun" Dick replied, "If I can, that is"

She nodded, beginning to walk down the path "Of course, of course. Just let me know when you know"

"Will do" Dick said.

She waved, "See you round"

"Thanks for showing me around" Dick called out after her.

"Anytime" she shouted back.

* * *

"Oh, you are so going to this event" his mother told him.

He had just told her about Barbara's invitation as her date to the Wayne Charity Gala on Friday and his mother gave the exact answer he suspected she would.

His mother was in the midst of hanging up clothes to dry on the clothesline set up outside his parent's car.

"I suspected you would say that" Dick replied, smiling.

"Go call that girl and tell her you are coming" his mother ordered, "I'll go check for your father's suit. You are probably just tall enough to fit into it. I'm going to have to find a tie for you, hmm…I'll think of something"

"You better not barrow one from the clowns" Dick told her.

She waved her hand, "Pfft, as if, you father wore on of theirs for our wedding. It sprayed water"

Dick laughed under his breath softly, "I'm going to go call Barbara"

"Kay" his mother smiled and went back to hanging up clothes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing**: Dickbabs  
**Rating**: T  
**Summary**: A little what if of it Dick had never lost his family and had never left the circus.  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything sadly.  
**Notes**: It might take a while for my next update, since I won't have wifi for a while. If your lucky I could have one tomorrow, but if not you'll have to wait till Saturday

* * *

Dick had heard about the Batman, on a few occasions, just as much as he had heard about Superman, Wonder Woman and all those other heroes in the Justice League.

He'd seen them on TV whenever a crisis was going on somewhere that a news station was set up and he scanned through articles about them in the newspapers left behind by his father. He also knew that some of them had sidekicks like the first sidekick of Batman, Batgirl.

He just never expected to meet one.

Dick end up coming across her Wednesday, when returning from the store to pick up a few items his mother needed. Making the horrible mistake of walking into a dark alleyway in Gotham caused him to soon find himself cornered by three thugs.

"Well, what do we have here?" one of them, holding a crowbar, asked his buddies as they walked closer to him, "A circus freak"

"Did the little acrobat swing too far from the tent?" another mocked.

Dick glared at the group, "Boys, I'm really not in the mood right now. Let me go, and I'll leave the cops out. Kay?"

Crowbar guy shook his head, "Not gonna happen, boss doesn't want that. See, we won't get paid unless we beat either you or one of your little circus buddies"

"We won't kill you" one behind him added, "We're just going to put you in a lot of pain"

"I mean it" Dick growled putting the bags in his hands down on the ground, "Go now or I will hurt you"

"What? You think we're afraid of a little acrobat?" crowbar guy laughed, and the others soon followed, "I don't think so"

"What about me?" another voice asked from behind them.

They spun around and crowbar guy went down on his back. Dick looked up from his unconscious form to see a tall, redhead figure with a black bat symbol on her chest. A cowl covered the top of her head, but he could still see big, excited eyes on her pale face.

One of the thugs threw a punch and she ducked, grabbing his arm as she came back up and twisting it to the side till there was a snapping sound. He screamed out in pain and dropped to his knees as she swung up her leg and kicked him in the face. The last one glanced at the two other thugs and back at Batgirl, before sprinted off into the streets of Gotham.

"Oh come on" Batgirl yelled after him, "You never answered my question"

She shrugged as the thug disappeared and looked over at Dick, who as reaching down for the bags he had placed on either side of him.

"You okay?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah, thanks" Dick mumbled out a thank you as he took the bags in his hands and lifted them up.

"Welcome" she sang, before looking him up and down and pointing a finger at him, "Grayson right? One of the acrobats?"

"Yeah, youngest" Dick answered.

"And the cutest" she replied with a smile before she pointed down to the two unconscious thugs at their feet, "Was there a reason for this guys bothering you?"

"They said there boss wouldn't pay unless me or one of my friends gets beaten to a pulp", Dick answered.

"Hmm..." Batgirl frowned and pursed her dark lips and crouched down, beginning to handcuff the thugs to nearby pipes, "…I think you should keep your circus buddies off the streets for a while, and next time you're out here stay away from dark alleyways. Kay? Nothing good ever comes out of them in this place"

Dick nodded, "Got it...thanks again"

"Anytime" Batgirl smiled, jumping up and grabbing the fire escape ladder and swinging herself up, "Catch you round, Grayson. Pleasure meeting you"

She vanished up the flight of stairs and over the rooftop, into the dark skyline of Gotham. Dick looked around the alleyway once more, before heading out into the streets and taking the longer route to the park.

* * *

Friday came around quicker than Dick thought it would.

Thankfully his mother had found his father old suit tucked away in a box and an actual tie for him to use, not one from the clowns. Dick had also spent the day before learning how to waltz by his family, which started with him stepping on his mother's foot a lot and then finishing with him close to being a professional. Close, but still not a professional.

Dick was just about set for the evening.

His mother was now in the midst of getting his hair slicked back and nice for the evening that Dick found himself sitting on a chair in their trailer as she sat on her knees behind him.

"Now you be on your best behavior tonight" she told him, "Treat this girl like she's the greatest person in the world. I want you to be a perfect gentleman understood?"

"Yes mom" Dick replied as she tugged his head back once more.

"Done" she announced, hands up as she leaned back and allowed him to stand up, "Now turn around and let me look at you"

Dick did and lifted his hands up in the air, before he smacked them down on his sides, waiting for him mother's approval.

"Oh, you look just like your father" she smiled, tracing her fingers on her lips as she looked at him.

Dick felt his cheeks burn up, "Mom..."

She waved her hand, standing up, "I know, I know, I'm just embarrassing you aren't I? But you look so handsome right now"

She kissed him on the cheek lovingly and stepped back as there was a knock at the door. John stuck his head in the trailer and smirked at him.

"Your girl's out here" he said and slowly smirked at him.

Dick eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his cousin, slowly making his way out and onto the grass below the trailer.

Looking up, he found Barbara stand a few feet away, in a beautiful, royal blue gown with draping details and jeweled halter straps going into a keyhole shape at the neckline. Her hair was curled and flowing down one side of her face and over her shoulder. She had on a subtle amount of makeup, her lips being the only thing standing out the most on her face with their dark red color.

"Bow chick-a wow wow", his cousin sang a whisper in his ear as he walked past.

"Shut up" Dick hissed quietly over his shoulder, before losing the glare and replacing it with a smile as he headed over to Barbara.

She saw him and smiled, "Hey, you look great"

"You look amazing" Dick replied, smiling brightly at her.

"Flattery will get you nowhere" she teased but was still smiling, "My car's up front. You ready to go?"

"Yep, all settled" Dick told her and was about to follow when his cousin caught his attention behind him.

"Hey Dick, wait up!" he yelled and Dick turned around to face him.

John stopped right in front of him and patted him on the shoulder, smiling proudly at his younger cousin as he slipped something into his pocket, whispering "Thought you might need this"

Dick slide his hand into his pocket and felt a square wrapper placed snugly in it. It was a condom. He glared at John, who only laughed at his face and walked off.

"See you round, Dick" John waved over his shoulder and Dick turned to face Barbara again this time shaking his head as they walked off.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Nothing" he answered quickly, "Nothing, let's just go"

* * *

"So you must be Dick" Commissioner Gordon smiled and shook hands with Dick when they came across him in the large ballroom, "My daughter has told me all about you"

He was an aged man, wrinkled around the eyes and mouth. His red hair, which was a lighter shade then Barbara's, and moustache were beginning to turn grey. The man was almost fifty and from the look in his eyes Dick saw, he'd seen a lot for his life. Much of which probably aged him in life.

"Actually the background check did" Barbara corrected, kissing her father on the cheek, "Hi Daddy"

"Hi sweetheart" Jim replied quietly to his daughter before continuing his conversation with Dick, "Well, I can never be too careful with the men my daughter associates with"

Dick swallowed, suddenly worrying about what Jim might have seen. He quickly scanned over all of his known memories trying to remember anything horrible he had done in the past few years. There was nothing to be seriously worried about really, but Dick thought back t the beach party he had gone to with his cousin and Rae last year. The thought of Jim knowing about how drunk he'd been that night freaked Dick out.

"You want a drink?" Barbara asked.

Dick nodded, "Sure"

Barbara headed off into the crowd, leaving Dick alone with her father.

"So, when did you meet my daughter?" Jim asked, sipping his champagne.

"Um...she visited the circus with some friends and I showed her around" Dick answered.

Jim stared at him and raised his dark eyebrows, "I thought you just sit in the tent and watch the performance. Not much to show"

"Behind the scenes tour"

"What for?"

"…I bumped into her, I wanted to make it up"

"So, you decided to show her around out of the goodness of your heart?"

"...Yeah, basically"

Jim stepped forward, piercing green eyes glared daggers down at Dick, and threatened in a hush voice, "Harm my daughter, by accident or on purpose, and I will have the police throw you into Arkham for a couple of nights. Am I clear?"

Dick nodded, "Yes sir, completely understood"

Jim smiled and moved back, just as Barbara reappeared with two glasses. She handed one over to Dick, who gripped the glass so tightly he thought it would shatter in his hands.

"I see the Mayor, got to go hun", Jim told his daughter as he moved behind her.

"See you dad" Barbara replied over her shoulder at him and then looked over at Dick. When she saw his face, her eyes widened and she asked, "Tell me my father didn't just threaten to throw you in Arkham or something?"

"No, no why would you think that?" Dick asked her ad swallowing down the drink in his hand.

"Damn-it Dad" Barbara cursed, looking to where her father had disappeared in the crowd, "Every time, he does this every time"

She eyes seemed to land on something in the distance and she continued staring towards that direction for a couple of seconds. Her mouth turned downwards and her jaw clenched up.

"You okay?" Dick asked, "You seem on edge"

"I'm fine" she answered quickly and brought her drink to her mouth.

She finished her drink as well and grabbed his empty glass and placed them on a silver tray a waiter held as he passed by. She then grabbed Dick's hand.

"Let's dance" she told him, leading him towards the center of the room.

She stopped in the middle of the dance floor and placing Dick's hand on her waist, extremely close to her ass. She took the other in her hand and placed her right hand on his shoulder. They began moving around the floor, keeping up with the pace of the song and the people around them.

"You okay?" Dick asked again.

"Fine" Barbara gritted out.

"Sure?"

"Yes"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing"

Dick laughed, "Really, nothing is wrong. You suddenly dragged me out here to waltz with no explanation and you seem pretty upset about something"

Barbara sighed, "You see the sandy blond guy behind me. Bout six foot and talking to a group of girls?"

Dick looked over her shoulder, spotting a blond man surrounded by giggling girls in colorful dresses, and nodded.

"He's my ex" Barbara explained, "We used to date till April when he dumped me via e-mail for some other chick he'd met while visiting Bludhaven?"

"Ouch" Dick winched, "Really? I didn't realize people still used e-mail?"

"He didn't even write it" Barbara added, "He had his dad's fucking assistant write me a formal e-mail about how I was no longer in a relationship with him"

"That douce" Dick growled, glaring over at her ex, the man was now staring at the two as the spun around, watching the pair.

"I know right", Barbara agreed before sighing, "Asshole really had me played"

Dick glanced down at her as they continued to spin around the floor, "Well, his loss you know. He's missing out on a real great girl"

"What did I say earlier?" Barbara looked up at him, "Flattery will get you know where"

"Well, you'll have to live with it. It's part of my charm" Dick replied.

Barbara smiled one of those little, genuine smiles that got Dick's stomach all knotted up and his heart all tight till he thought it explode. Her eyes wandered off from his face and over his shoulder.

"Hey, you wanna see something cool?" Barbara asked him, staring away from him.

"Sure I guess" Dick answered with a shrug.

"Cool, follow me then" Barbara told him and leading him towards a hallway.

They exited the ballroom, while no one was looking, and Barbara lead Dick down into the building, round corners and turnings till coming to a stop at a door. She opened it and they both stepped in.

Closing the door, Dick found himself in what seemed to be a dimly lit closet full of cleaning utensils.

"What's so cool about this?" Dick asked.

"The fact that I can do this" Barbara answered and pressed her lips to his.

Her hands landed on either side of his face, thumbs sitting on his cheeks as she pressed her body against him. He was slammed into the wall, but Dick returned her movements by wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close.

She tasted like champagne and smelled like strawberries and spent the time kissing him, running her fingers through his hair. She kissed the side of his mouth and jaw before Dick began to trail kisses over her neck and exposed shoulder. Her back arched and his hands moved down lower.

Barbara pulled back and stared up him, pupils dilated. She glanced down at her wrist, looking at her watch.

"Okay, we have five minutes before people will notice us gone" Barbara told him and went back to kissing him.


End file.
